The new Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana has geared the department's 2014/15 budget towards the implementation of programmes set to make a “significant dent” in unemployment through the creation of one-million jobs by 2030.
Delivering the departmental Budget Vote, Zokwana explained that government would provide comprehensive support to smallholder farmers by speeding up land reform and providing technical, infrastructural and financial support.
In line with this, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had allocated more than R2-billion of its R6.7-billion 2014/15 budget to support programmes for smallholder farmers throughout South Africa.
The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, which aimed to increase farm output, particularly for the beneficiaries of land reform, contributing towards the Fetsa Tlala food-security initiative, had been allocated R1.86-billion.
The Ilma/Letsema and LandCare programmes were allocated R460-million and R67.8-million respectively.
Currently, only 26% of all smallholder producers in the country received any form of support, Zokwana noted.
Current Statistics South Africa data indicated that South Africa hosted nearly 300 000 smallholder farmers – a 58% jump on the number of smallholder farmers recorded in 2009.
Further, about 2.4-million South African households practised “some level” of subsistence farming.
“Working together with MECs, we will channel financial inputs and human resources to broaden our support and reach [for] our smallholders,” Zokwana vowed.
“Support will be provided to communities to engage in food production and subsistence farming to promote food security, in line with the Fetsa Tlala food-production programme.”